I find it kind of comical that so many people, myself and even Lupe included, had issues with various elements of L.A.S.E.R.S. and yet it’s been an incredibly successful commercial album for him. “The Show Goes On” is one of the biggest chart topping records of the year and the new single, “Out Of My Head,” is getting considerable airplay as well. Hopefully that continues now that the video is out.

Long time friend of SNSS, Lupe Fiasco returned to Seattle to speak with J. Moore and I on 1-14-11. We broadcast live on KUBE93.com and talked all about his long awaited Lasers project, his rabid fan base, his life away from the stage/studio, and much more. In the first half of the interview, Lu discussed how his lyrics impact listeners, how he’s often misinterpreted in the media, his hobbies when relaxing at home, and more.

In the second half of the interview, Lu discussed his car collection, his favorite albums of 2010, his plans to become an author, Lasers, and he even spit an acapella verse from the project.

Lastly, we opened up the floor to questions from viewers who were logged in, watching it live.

Hopefully you enjoy this candid conversation with one of our favorite MC’s in the industry and just an all around good guy. I wish we recorded footage of the meet & greet we held right before this (remember when we gave out tickets?) so you could all see how Lu’s lyrics have really impacted the lives of his fans.

If Lu didn’t just remind everyone that he might be the dopest MC in the game, I’d be slightly worried that he’s headed in this direction with his music. While it’s not bad, I’d much rather he continue to murder the mic like we all know he can. Thankfully, it looks like this is a one-off for the Twilight* soundtrack.

After a long period of relative silence, it looks like Lupe has decided to stop letting these counterfeit ‘lyricists’ get all the shine. He’s been ripping freestyles lately and now he’s dropped a new mixtape to stake further claim to the throne. FNF Up!

Special shout to Shake @ 2DopeBoyz for creating some dope artwork (crushing the original) and splitting the tape up into single tracks. Enjoy!

This has been my jam for a minute, but it looks like Drea and Million $ Mano, better known as He Say She Say, are really starting to push this joint as a single of sorts. Between this group, Hey Champ, Sarah Green, and Matthew Santos, Lupe is putting together a nice roster of non-hip-hop artists on 1st & 15th. FNF Up!

Yes y’all, Gem’s new mixtape is finally here. I’m psyched to check this one out since everything that’s leaked so far has been super fresh. Plus, I really respect the way he’s updating his music to match his evolving personal beliefs as well. That’s what true art is all about. Tracklisting and download link after the jump. Shouts to KayCee. FNF Up!

Next up from Chi-town, FNF representative Gemstones, just got a nice little feature on VIMBY. He takes you through Chicago, talking about his style, his inspirations, and his upcoming album, all the while displaying some of his personal growth as an artist. He also got really in depth about his evolution when we had him on Sound Session a few months back. If you missed that interview, you can download it right here ( or through the back up / streaming link available here).

What better way to start off my blogging than by bigging up one of my favorite MC’s in the game, Lupe Fiasco. Here’s some footage of Lu receiving his gold plaque for the ridiculously dope The Cool album. If you haven’t copped it yet, you’re sleeping. We need to support the good hip-hop major labels decide to put out, otherwise it’s ringtone rap for all. Special appearances from the homey Jason Salvador, Lupe’s murse, and I think my dude Niles is somewhere there in the crowd.

Lu’s on point with the idea of “selling positivity” and “feeling good morally” about what they release. Hopefully other artists follow suit. Keep it up Lu!